O'Fallon Progress

O'Fallon City Council salutes World War II veterans

By Lynn Venhaus For the Progress
The O'Fallon City Council stood and saluted the veterans. From left are aldermen Ross Rosenberg, Andrew Lopinot, Courtney Marsh, Richie Meile, Ray Holden and David Cozad; City Clerk Jerry Mouser, City Administrator Walter Denton, Mayor Herb Roach, City Attorney Todd Fleming, and aldermen Jerry Albrecht and Ned Drolet. Not shown, but also saluting, were aldermen Matt Smallheer, Kevin Hagarty and Dan Witt. Aldermen Matthew Gilreath and Mark Morton were not present at the meeting.
The O'Fallon City Council stood and saluted the veterans. From left are aldermen Ross Rosenberg, Andrew Lopinot, Courtney Marsh, Richie Meile, Ray Holden and David Cozad; City Clerk Jerry Mouser, City Administrator Walter Denton, Mayor Herb Roach, City Attorney Todd Fleming, and aldermen Jerry Albrecht and Ned Drolet. Not shown, but also saluting, were aldermen Matt Smallheer, Kevin Hagarty and Dan Witt. Aldermen Matthew Gilreath and Mark Morton were not present at the meeting. Lynn Venhaus For the Progress

The O'Fallon City Council honored a group of the Greatest Generation at its meeting Monday.

“We are so very proud to stand and salute each and every one of you because we owe you and everyone that served so much,” Mayor Herb Roach said to the 10 veterans of World War II, who served between 1939 through 1945, that were present at Monday’s O’Fallon City Council meeting.

The council honored Don Bennett, Charles Bevirt, Harold Clinton, Donald Compton, Frank Martinez, Vernon Monken, William Roewe, Barnard Schwartz, Phyllis Sympson and James Vaughn with a salute and a token of appreciation. The audience gave them a standing ovation.

Those who were not able to attend were Chuck Baker, Henry Bohmeiner, Clifford Boles, Lyle Carey, Sylvester Harding, Walter Johnston, Mrs. Richard Mersinger, Nathan Rothschield and Calvin Truttman.

“These men and women have long been called the Greatest Generation because of what they accomplished,” Roach said.

“They changed the political alignment and social structure of the world. These men and woman so bravely fought against some long odds and tyranny to defend our countries’ freedoms,” he said. “It was the war that left no part of the world untouched. They fought against those that believed in book burnings and imprisonment or death because of one’s religious beliefs, so that today we still have our freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

“It was the deadliest war in history, a war that took over 60 million lives, or about 3 percent of the world’s population at that time. This is more people than live in our top 55 cities in the U.S. It would be like wiping them off the face of the earth.

“During the war over 16 million served from the U.S. Among them were many from O’Fallon, including my father, but today less than 1 million remain for us to honor. So, we are so very proud to honor the 10 that are here with us and those at home that could not join us,” Roach said.

“I hope we have not missed any of these heroes. Please let us know,” he said.

The council stood, and Alderman Ray Holden ordered everyone to salute.

This story was originally published May 22, 2018 at 9:55 AM with the headline "O'Fallon City Council salutes World War II veterans."

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